Fans are already excited at the prospect of the Crawley family and their staff returning on a big screen, and speaking exclusively to The Sun Online at the Southbank Sky Arts Awards last night, Joanne doesn’t think they will be disappointed.

The actress, who plays lady’s maid Anna Bates in the show, said: “I think as long as you keep the content to the level people expect, there’s no reason why it can’t be a success and that’s the main thing really.

“I’m sure [creator] Julian’s [Fellowes] script will be just as wonderful as the series.
“You want it to carry on at the same level that we left it.”

The final episode of Downton Abbey saw Joanne’s character Anna give birth to a baby boy during Edith’s wedding reception, but the 36-year-old has no idea what’s in store for her alter ego in the movie, which is set to start filming in September.

The film version of Downton Abbey was confirmed in May with shooting set to begin in September

Joanne attended the awards – held at London’s Savoy Hotel – with husband James Cannon, and she spoke about how they split their time between England and America.

The star, who won a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe for her work on Downton, has appeared in a number of different projects since Downton finished, including the film A Street Cat Named Bob, and is gearing up for her next big TV drama, Liar.